A police officer who led the inquiry into the hunt for a van driver who hit and killed two pedestrians on a Fenland road has been presented with a judges’ commendation for his work.

His Honour Judge Enright commended PC Timothy Kirkby “for demonstrating professionalism to a very high degree” for his handling of a death by dangerous driving case.

On January 17 2013 Bill Bishop, 19, of Station Road, Manea, was convicted of two offences of causing death by careless driving. A week later he was ordered to serve a sentence of four years detention in a youth offenders’ institution.

Dominic Iliffe, 24, and James Kiely, 27, were hit on Wimblington Road in March, in December 2011.

Mr Iliffe, of Chatteris, and Mr Kiely, of Silvertown, east London, were walking in the carriageway along Wimblington Road, towards the A141, in the early when they were hit by a Vauxhall Astra being driven by Bishop.

Other Cambridgeshire police officers have also received judges’ commendation for their work.

The commendations were presented at a Chief Officer’s Commendation Ceremony at force HQ in Huntingdon. It was attended by Chief Constable Simon Parr and PCC Sir Graham Bright.

His Honour Judge Bate commended DC Steven Barrable for his work on the case of Virginija Jurkiene who was raped and killed in a hotel in Wisbech on January 18, 2013. A man was convicted of the crimes in June. Judge Bate commended DC Barrable, “for his unstinting work before and during the trial, especially his skilled adapting of very sensitive digital scene and autopsy photographs of the deceased, into a format that enabled them to be viewed by the jury whilst preserving their evidential value.”

Also recognised was Operation Quantify, which covered the murder of Vitalija Baliutaviciene. His Honour Mr Justice Fulford commended DI Martin Brunning (now Temporary DCI), DC Spike Ray, PC Jacqueline Fuller and Crime Analyst David Stacey. After a seven week trial at The Old Bailey, a jury unanimously convicted a man of Vitalija’s murder and kidnap. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.

The murder of Sally McGrath was also recognised: A man was found guilty of her murder 33 years previous and a number of other sexual offences in December 2012 and sentenced to life. The Honourable Mr Justice Owen commended Det Supt Jeff Hill, the senior investigating officer and Head of Major Crime for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire; DCI George Barr, the Deputy Senior Investigating Officer; and DC Hayley Dyas and DC Kim Bowen, who were the case file officers.

His Honour Judge Enright commended DC Lee Crane and PC Adam Blake for the conviction of a prolific burglar.

The judge also commended PC Andrew Moralee and DC Joanne Nicholson for implementing a surveillance operation at Waterbeach which resulted in the conviction of three burglars.

His Honour Judge Nic Madge, who also attended and spoke at the ceremony, commended Sergeant Matthew Bill, who showed great bravery, as an unarmed officer, in disarming and arresting a man who had pointed what he believed was a hand gun at his upper body and head on May 8, 2012.